For the following Saturdays (my time), I will be showing a series of jellyfishes.

These pictures were taken by my wife earlier this year as part of her visit which involved travelling 5400 miles in the National Parks of the South West and a return trip from Las Vegas back to San Francisco via the Pacific Highway.

There are so many good photos that I can choose from my wife’s photos for the US trip; sometimes, I just don’t know which ones to pick.

There are some photos which document her experience in the Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) that I find interesting.

I have been to quite a few aquarium but I have never been able to photograph jelly fishes and the like successfully.

The following is the Wiki’s introduction to MBA:

The Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) was founded in 1984 and is located on the site of a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row of the Pacific Ocean shoreline in Monterey, California, United States. It has an annual attendance of 1.8 million visitors. It holds thousands of plants and animals, representing more than 600 species on display. The aquarium benefits from a high circulation of fresh ocean water which is obtained through pipes which pump it in continuously from Monterey Bay.

This week’s Challenge is on “Background”. Background generally means the part of a pictorial representation that appears to be in the distance and that provides relief for the principal objects in the foreground.

My favorite picture is one taken in Okinawa’s aquarium. The principal objects are the visitors who were taking pictures or pointing towards the fishes in the aquarium. The interesting thing is that the background was changing all the time, with different types of fishes appearing on the scene.

On my next picture, the principal objects are the yellow fishes, in a background of rocks and corals in the aquarium.

In Furano, Japan, while the principal objects are the lavender flowers in the foreground, the rolling hills behind and the sky formed an interesting backdrop.

The limestone columns at Zhangjiajie, China are the main subjects but the multitude of similar limestone columns at a distance serves as an interesting background.

The trees in the foreground at Zhangjiajie, China contrast sharply with the misty background of hills behind.

The nearest hill sloping down into Three Gorges River on the right appears very distinct, however, the two vessels and hills at a distance are somewhat blur; look as if they are disappearing into the mist.

It is fascinating that the background can be as interesting as the principal objects! Good photos have backgrounds that enhance the principal objects so that taken together they form interesting images.

The aquarium at Okinawa, Japan, to say the least, is very interesting. While we were there, we have the opportunity of seeing not only something big but also something small and even something delicate.

The aquarium is huge with a clever construction so that visitors can have an unobstructed column free view of the aquarium and the fishes inside. We were awed with the close up views of the many sharks, sting rays and other fishes in the aquarium.

In the other parts of the aquarium, some other fishes are small, like the bright-colored coral fishes which dart around playfully around the corals and move in tandem with the currents (top picture).

The lion fish (picture above) there have also captured our undivided attention. They are well-known for their ornate beauty, venomous spines and unique tentacles. The spines and tentacles look delicate, fragile and could be broken up by any strong currents or sudden movements.

We spent a long time looking at the corals. The coral reefs are so delicate because they are made from living creatures. The reefs are made up of coral polyps which are a delicate, limestone-secreting animal. The deposits are made in hundred or thousands of years protecting the softer parts. However, coral reefs can live only in a delicate, balanced marine environment. They require lots of light and oxygen. They also need clear water, low nutrients, a steady temperature, and stable salinity.

They are a vital part of marine ecosystems, but they can be damaged by everything from storms, pollutants, ship anchors and careless divers to massive natural disasters. They are therefore so delicate, but having said that, this also applies to almost everything with life as life itself is delicate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .